His Duty
by Stumble-Into-Madness
Summary: "It was his duty to do whatever he could to ensure the completion of their quest. All of Middle Earth, all that he held dear to him depended on it." Legolas does a heroic sacrifice. Possible character death, I'm still pondering whether or not to kill him
1. I A Sacrifice

**I've been having this play through my head for a few days now and I had to write it down in hopes to get it out. I'm not a hardcore LOTR fan and I have never read the trilogy (don't think I ever will) but I have seen all three movies (which were fantastic btw). My friend is currently reading The Fellowship of the Ring and it's taken her nearly two weeks to get past the halfway point. She's normally quite a fast reader but she says that the book is a complete bore yet she adores the movies to a point where it's kind of scary. **

**I'm enjoying the fanfictions immensely though and I thought I might as well contribute my own writing. If there are any flaws you may point them out in the reviews but I honestly don't care how accurate I make this.**

**Enjoy.**

"We will go into the mines!" Frodo had yelled over the howl of the wind.

At these few words, Legolas' stomach dropped. To be cut off from the sky, the stars, the moon and all that grew; it simply pained him to think of being deprived of such things. For an elf who is one with nature, being underground within the depths of the earth was not a favourable place to be.

Despite his discomfort, it was his duty to do whatever he could to ensure the completion of their quest. All of Middle Earth, all that he held dear to him depended on it!

The whole kingdom was teeming with darkness that clung to his clothes. All around the entrance were skeletons from a battle that happened long ago and they were littered about all over the place. Inside the room where Balin's tomb lay, a large book where the last of the battle had taken place was written down and Gandalf read the last entry.

"We cannot get out... drums in the deep... They are coming," he finished.

He was interrupted by a loud clang and he whirled around to see a timid looking Pippin beside a headless skeleton that teetered and fell with an even louder clang as it continued its painful journey down the tunnel that buried deep into the ground. The sounds echoed throughout Moria and finally came to a stop.

"Fool of a Took! Next time throw yourself in and rid us of your stupidity!" Gandalf cried, snatching back his staff and hat that he had given to the hobbit to hold. He turned to leave and froze, as the sound of a drum boomed. Louder and more frequent they came as the shrill cries of Orcs mingled with the sound of many running feet.

As quickly as they could, Aragorn and Boromir boarded up the door with spears and axes they found around the bodies of the fallen dwarves. In no time the Orcs had reached the entrance to the room and started to dismantle the door. Legolas shot an arrow into a hole where an arm was making its way through and heard a satisfying screech from the creature. He continued to shoot when suddenly the door collapsed and the Orcs swarmed in. Everyone jumped into battle and fought with all they had.

A deep roar was heard over the sounds of the Orcs and a great cave-troll was led into the room on a chain. It obliterated the remains of the doorframe and entered the fight. Legolas was up high on a shelf of some sort, slashing with his twin blades when he heard the whoosh of a chain. He ducked just in time to avoid being cut in half but the troll swung again and again. On the third try it snagged a pillar and wrapped around it getting caught. Legolas climbed up the chain onto the troll's back and shot two arrows into its skull. It roared with pain and Legolas jumped off.

He moved out of the way to avoid being trampled by the beast and took a moment to see how the others were faring. His heart jumped when he saw Aragorn's still body and hoped that he had not perished. Legolas noticed the hobbits trying to avoid the troll and he ran to help them.

Frodo cowered in a corner as the beast raised a spear and thrust it down towards him but before it could pierce his body, a green blur came between them.

**TBC... **

**Oh yes, nasty, nasty cliff hanger. Deeply sorry to trouble you all with this. I've started the second chapter so don't you worry, I'll have it up soon. **

**-Sweet Nightmares-**


	2. II The Injury

Though the spear collided with his body and buried deep within his chest, not a scream passed his lips. Strangely enough, Legolas didn't feel the pain but he was certain that it would come crashing down later. Blood dripped down from the spear and stained his clothes in bright crimson.

"L-Legolas!" Frodo cried, staring wide-eyed at the elf.

Legolas looked over his shoulder at the young hobbit but his attention was brought back to the troll as it thrust the spear deeper into his chest causing more blood to spill. Letting his twin blades clatter to the floor, he grabbed the spear to try and stop it from skewering him completely and hitting Frodo behind him.

"Run Frodo!" he yelled at the paralyzed hobbit as his arms started to shake from the strain of keeping the spear at bay.

Frodo managed to move out of the way just before Legolas lost his grip and the spear impaled him. The force made him collide into the wall. In a last ditch effort to kill the beast, he strung an arrow and aimed it at the creatures head.

The troll had shifted as the arrow flew and only manage to hit the ear, but this distracted it as it opened its mouth wide and roared with pain. Legolas aimed carefully and sent two arrows straight into the troll's mouth, piercing its brain. A hollow moan emitted from its throat and it collapsed in a heap, finally dead.

Legolas slid down the wall and his blood was smeared on it. He reached for one of his blades so he could try and cut most of the spear off so it wouldn't cause any more internal damage. It wasn't an easy feat but he managed to get a hold of his blade and in one swift movement, he'd cut off most of the spear.

Frodo hadn't gone far after he was told to run, for he was worried about the elf that had risked his life for him. He slowly got to his feet and walked over to Legolas, seeing the extent of the damage to his body.

Although a majority of the spear was cut off, there was a large portion of it sticking out grotesquely. Blood poured from the wound and collected in a gory pool around the elf. Frodo swallowed, fearful of losing the contents of his stomach as its metallic smell invaded his nose.

"L-Legolas?" he asked his voice barely audible.

The elf didn't answer, his eyes half closed stared past the hobbit and the only sign of life was the uneven rise and fall of his chest. With every breath, the spear moved and Frodo could only imagine how much pain the elf was in.

"Legolas?" he asked again, a little louder this time.

The elf blinked out of his trance and turned his gaze to the hobbit and sighed, thoroughly relieved, "Thank the Valar that you are all right." Legolas looked down at himself and his eyes widened at the spearhead sticking out of his chest, "Hmm... well, this is slightly problematic..."

"Problematic?" Frodo said, dumbfounded at the elf's reaction. He was dying and he didn't seem aware of how precarious the situation was. Frodo scrambled towards his injured friend and simply stared, not knowing what to do.

"It's alright Frodo," Legolas said quietly and smiled.

Frodo shook his head, "No, no it's not alright! You're hurt because of me-"

He stopped in mid-sentence as the elf closed his eyes tightly. Without warning, he gripped the end of the spear, pulling with all his might and with a strangled scream the spearhead was removed. Breathing heavily, Legolas put an arm tightly around the wound to try and stem the sudden gush of blood. He winced at the pressure and struggled to stand up. Frodo rushed forward and helped the elf to his feet.

"Should you be standing?" he asked as Legolas leaned heavily against the wall.

"I just... need a minute..." he whispered and closed his eyes.

Frodo turned and saw Aragorn coming to and he rushed towards him.

"Aragorn... Aragorn Legolas is hurt you have to help him!" he said frantically, tugging on the man's arm, "Legolas is hurt Aragorn!" Frodo yelled.

He quickly got to his feet, terrified of his friend's condition but it didn't take him long to find out. As soon as he stood, the sight of Legolas reached his eyes. The elf was bent over so his hair shielded his face and blood dripped onto the floor.

"No... no, no, no, no, no! Legolas!" Aragorn screamed and ran to his friend.

Legolas' breathing was ragged and laboured and his chest screamed with pain at each breath. Aragorn nearly crashed into him and Legolas smiled at the sight of his friend's face.

"Aragorn... you're... you're a-alright," he wheezed.

"Hold on Legolas just hold on-"

"Aragorn! We must continue to the Bridge of Khazad-dûm!" Gandalf called but fell silent at the sight of Legolas, "Oh no..." he whispered.

"Can you walk?" Aragorn asked.

"Of course I can," the stubborn elf snapped. After a few deep breaths, he stood tall and marched past Aragorn and the others leaving a trail of blood behind him.

Gandalf nodded his head and lead the way out of the room with Legolas close behind. Gimli studied the elf warily; such injuries would kill a human in a second and this made him wonder how much an elf could take before they die.


	3. III Dreaful Pain

Though each breath brought pain ripping through his chest, Legolas moved forward as adrenaline coursed throughout his body which gave him the strength to stand. Gandalf was moving quickly, eager to leave this place and Legolas was close behind him. The rest of the Fellowship trailed behind the two and they couldn't help noticing the trail of blood on the floor.

"Will he be alright?" Boromir asked, his eyes kept on darting to the crimson splatters.

"I don't know," Aragorn replied, "He has this nasty habit of hiding his injuries so I can't be sure how severe his condition is. He walked past me before I could get a good look."

"Why would he hide his injuries?" Pippin asked, "Isn't it better to have them looked at so that he can get better?"

"He doesn't like it when we worry about him," Aragorn explained.

Frodo was silent as guilt built up inside his chest. The more blood of the elf he saw, the wearier he felt. Nothing he could say or do would be enough to repay Legolas.

"Hurry up!" Legolas called back. He and Gandalf were picking up the pace.

They were nearing the Bridge of Khazad-dûm. The seven members of the Fellowship ran for their lives with Aragorn and Gimli at the rear. They managed to catch up with Gandalf and Legolas and were just about to reach the edge of the bridge when a roar erupted from behind.

"What was that?" Sam asked.

"Everyone get back!" Gandalf commanded as a large form emerged from the shadows, a Balrog with its flaming sword and cracking whip, "You shall not pass!" he commanded.

The wizard brandished his staff and sword together, "You shall not pass!" he cried, and with a mighty spell, he broke the bridge and the Balrog fell down deep into the cavern. As it fell though, it cracked its whip and snagged Gandalf's ankles, pulling him over the edge.

Barely managing to hold on, he locked eyes with the Fellowship, "Fly you fools!" he commanded, and disappeared into the cavern below.

"NO! No Gandalf!" Frodo cried, but Aragorn stopped him from running to the edge.

"We must go!" he yelled.

The remaining members of the Fellowship quickly sprinted through the Great Gates of Moria and managed to stumble a mile away until they collapsed in grief. Legolas still stood though he was as pale as a ghost. His blood still gushed through his fingers and he estimated that he'd lost almost half of it from the running. His life was slowly draining away.

He moved away from the others, not wanting them to fuss over him and he did his best to stem the flow of the crimson liquid by ripping off part of his sleeve and balling it up, pressing it to the wound. He hissed as pain erupted from the contact and he fell to his knees, unable to stay standing any longer.

The adrenaline was starting to wear off and the pain increased in his chest, spreading to the rest of his body until it hurt to move. Finally he admitted defeat and collapsed onto his side with a painful whimper.

At the sound of his distress, Aragorn turned and his eyes widened at the sight of his friend, "Legolas!" he called sprinting towards him, but got no answer.

"Legolas!" he cried, falling to his knees beside his friend, "Legolas can you hear me?"

There still was no answer, but he saw the quick, uneven rise and fall of his chest and his eyes were wide open.

"Legolas, mellon-nin can you hear me?" he asked again, gently resting a hand on his shoulder.

Legolas started at the contact and moaned in pain from his sudden movement, closing his eyes tightly he rolled onto his back. He managed to open one and saw Aragorn's worried face looking down at him.

"H-Hello Aragorn," he struggled to say, yet he said it in a way like there was nothing wrong, as if he was just greeting him.

"Don't speak, you should have let me tend to this before," Aragorn said miserably.

"Just leave me then," Legolas whispered, "I will only... slow you all down."

"Never! I could never do that Legolas!"

At this point the rest of the Fellowship had made its way over, observing from a respectable distance so as not to make the elf uncomfortable.

"You stubborn elf, let him help you already," Gimli grumbled.

"I fear... this might be...beyond healing..." Legolas breathed.

He tensed as an agonizing wave of pain took hold of him and he let out a quiet scream as that was all he could muster. When it passed he was shivering and a small cough tainted his lips red with blood. By now there was a pool of it surrounding him and the wad of cloth he had used earlier was completely soaked.

"Legolas I must treat you now, you can make this easy or extremely difficult," Aragorn said sternly, "Someone start a fire and boil some water," he instructed and the others got to work.

Legolas laid a hand over his wound and stared up at the sky with his eyes half closed and observed the clouds sail by sluggishly. Exhaustion was creeping into his mind as the edges of his vision dimmed. Eventually he succumbed to the welcoming darkness.


	4. IV Agonizing Guilt

Aragorn rummaged through his pack and retrieved his pouch of healing herbs and extracted the ones he needed. He then began to crush them into powders to mix into tea and chewed others into a paste. Behind him a fire began to crackle with water beginning to bubble sitting on top. Aragorn searched through his pack again and found some bandages. He laid everything out in front of him, and waited for the water to come into a rolling boil.

Eventually the water was ready for use and he hastily dipped a piece of cloth into the scorching liquid, ignoring the burning pain he felt in his fingers. Turning to Legolas, he gently removed the stiff hand and it felt as though it was still as defiant and stubborn as its master trying to keep Aragorn from helping.

As gently as he could, Aragorn cleaned out the wound though it still bled profusely to his dismay, "Please stop bleeding," he begged quietly. If he couldn't stem the flow soon the elf would surely die of blood loss; but it was as if the elf had heard him when after a few moments the blood stopped flowing. Aragorn breathed a sigh of relief; he continued in cleaning out the wound and added in some of the paste. It was at this moment when Legolas showed a sign of discomfort. His face contorted in pain and his arms tried to reach his wound.

"I'm sorry!" Aragorn whispered frantically trying to keep the hands at bay, "I'm sorry I know it stings but you must leave it be!"

But Legolas did not hear him this time and struggled further, "Someone help restrain him!" Aragorn called and the dwarf shuffled over to assist, "If he struggles he may add more damage."

Gimli nodded and held down the shoulders of the elf but that wasn't enough. Pippin seeing him struggle, hurried over with Merry and held down Legolas' left arm as Merry weighed down the right. Even with these three beings trying to keep the elf still, the strength of his people hidden within the slender figure was too much for them and they were thrown off.

"This is ridiculous," Boromir said, looking incredulously at the three of them and took their place. He lasted perhaps thirty seconds which was twice the amount of time the others had lasted before Legolas managed to punch his face and Boromir staggered back, stunned. His flabbergasted gaze fell upon Legolas' form that struggled with Aragorn.

"What incredible strength he possesses," Boromir gasped, rubbing the bruise that was starting to form on his cheek.

Sam simply stared at the whole procedure behind the safely of the fire. He knew he should help but he was afraid of making matters worse. Frodo sat beside him with a horrified look on his face, _I have caused him this great pain_, he thought miserably. Sam peeled his gaze away from Aragorn and Legolas to Frodo, 'You alright?" he asked, noticing the look on the face of his friend.

"It's my fault," Frodo murmured.

Sam opened his mouth to reply and try to reassure his friend that it was an accident but before he could do so Aragorn called to him.

"Sam! I need you help over here!"

He quickly got to his feet and rushed over, "What do I do?" he asked, happy to help. The sight of Legolas so distressed was unnerving to him.

"Make tea with that powder there," he instructed, trill struggling the stop Legolas from damaging himself further.

Sam nodded enthusiastically and grabbed a cup, adding the powder and pouring the steaming liquid on top. He rummaged around his pack until he found and spoon and stirred it gently, making sure that all of the medicine had dissolved. As he stirred the mixture changed into a clear blue and he was intrigued with this strange concoction he created.

Aragorn looked at the mix and nodded his approval, reaching out for it.

"Legolas, please mellon-nin calm yourself and drink," he said softly, holding the cup to the lips of his friend. Eventually Legollas relaxed enough that Aragorn was able to get the medicine down his throat.

Aragorn sat back, relief coursed through him. At least his friend was not in pain for the moment but getting him to drink was the easy part, now he had to stitch up the wound and Aragorn started to work.

Stitch after stitch he sewed up his friend and took extra care to make sure he did not falter. After he had knotted the end and snipped the excess thread, Aragorn added the remaining paste on top of the stitches to speed the healing process. The finishing touch of a white, cotton bandage completed his work. Legolas' wound looked much better covered and out of sight.

It was at this time that Aragorn gathered up the remains of Legolas' shirt and replaced it with a clean one. The elf's leggings had escaped most of the blood and were left untouched.

Frodo took one look at the blood stained shirt of Legolas and nearly gagged at the metallic smell that invaded his nose. It brought back his memories of Legolas jumping in front of him to save his life in Moria and Frodo shuddered, remembering that terrifying moment. "_Run Frodo!"_ the elf's voice echoed through his head and only brought more misery upon his heart.


	5. V Once Again

"Legolas..." a voice called, "Legolas you must wake."

Aragorn knew that Legolas needed more time to rest but time was ticking away, "Legolas, I know you haven't rested for long but we must get going before orcs pass through," he said, gripping Legolas' shoulder.

Eventually the elf stirred. Slowly he opened his drowsy eyes and stared up at Aragorn's face that hovered above his, "Legolas? Are you well enough to continue?" Aragorn asked after his friend said nothing.

The elf blinked slowly and nodded. He painfully got to his feet with the help of his friend but staggered a bit as the world swirled around him. He managed to steady himself and stood tall. Pippin and Merry both smiled, happy that Legolas was back on his feet.

"How are you feeling?" Pippin asked.

"I am fine," he replied softly and Aragorn shook his head.

"You foolish elf, will I ever see the day when you will admit your condition?" he said exasperated.

Frodo looked away from Legolas, determined not to make eye contact. He would surely freeze on the spot if his gaze met the elf's. He was frightened of what he would see within those blue orbs. Anger? Disappointment?

"Mr. Frodo are you ready?" Sam asked, interrupting his thoughts.

Frodo just nodded as he did not feel like engaging in conversation.

"Glad to see you awake laddie," Gimli said with a smile as he grabbed his axe.

Legolas simply smiled back but only for a moment and his expression turned serious as he searched for his bow, "Where is it?" he asked quietly.

"Here mellon-nin," Aragorn said and handed him his bow.

"Hannon-le," Legolas murmured and strapped it to his back with his quiver. He then located his twin blades and continued to prepare for the rest of the journey.

Boromir eyed Legolas, still trying to understand how the elf could have such strength in such a weakened state. As Legolas turned, he caught Boromir staring and the Man of Gondor quickly averted his gaze.

Once everyone was packed and ready to go, the remaining members of the Fellowship headed to Lothlórien. Aragorn led and the rest trailed behind with Boromir, Merry, and Pippin at the rear. The three of them were having a rather in depth conversation on the tactics and strategies of fighting. Both Merry and Pippin listened eagerly to Boromir's stories and interrupted every so often with their prying questions, desperate to learn more. The two of them wanted to get as much information as possible since they knew that the most fighting experience they had was from tackling each other over the best carrots.

Frodo and Sam were walking just ahead of them but both walked in silence. Sam wanted to talk to Frodo but he kept turning away every time Sam tried to start up a conversation. He did not wish to voice his thoughts as he knew enough to know that Legolas would probably hear it with those pointy ears of his. His thoughts always traveled back to that heart stopping moment when the elf was impaled and even though he was gravely injured, he had fought on as Frodo had cowered in fear and ran.

Then there was the memory of Gandalf disappearing into the darkness after the Balrog had snagged his ankles with the whip. Frodo shuddered at the thought of the kind wizard falling to his doom. Though it wasn't his fault at all, he felt even more responsible for everything. These people had volunteered their lives to keep him alive and all because he inherited a ring.

His mind circled around these thoughts and every so often, he would quickly glance up at the elf.

Legolas was only a few meters behind Aragorn and he spoke nothing. From this angle you could hardly tell that he was injured. He made no sound as his feet met the earth step after step unlike the most prominent stomps from the rest of the Fellowship. As the sun beat down on them all, he was the only one who did not have a single drop of perspiration on his brow unlike the dwarf trailing behind him who was huffing and puffing, his face slowly turning red from the heat.

They all walked for what felt like ages but could only have been hours and eventually Aragorn stopped them all for a break to replenish themselves beside a small river.

Frodo sat as far away from Legolas as he could and Sam accompanied him, handing Frodo a piece of bread and who gratefully accepted it.

Boromir took a long pull from his water skin and sighed as he leaned back against a boulder. Again, his gaze fell upon the elf and he was surprised to see that he was still very much dry unlike everyone else stewing in their own sweat. After taking another drink from his water skin, Boromir returned it to his pack only to get tackled from behind by two small beings.

He cried out in surprise and toppled over as Merry and Pippin tested their new knowledge, pinning Boromir to the ground and grinned at him. Aragorn snickered and Gimli chuckled as the two of them watched the three of them roll about.

"HAH!" Merry cried in victory, "We gotcha!"

The two hobbits let him back up and took a moment to complement each other on their skills. Boromir took his moment to lunge at the two of them and scooped them around the waist, one in each of his arms. The two unsuspecting hobbits cried out in alarm but soon succumbed to laughter.

"Never let your guard down until you are quite sure your opponent will not get back up again," Boromir warned and joined in with the laughter.

Legolas who had been watching the skirmish smiled; glad to know that despite the loss of one of their members the remaining members of the Fellowship could still find time to laugh. He wanted to join in but he knew that if he did, the movement would add to the terrible pain he felt throbbing in his chest.

Even speaking was uncomfortable as every breath that brought air into his battered lungs brought pain. He had developed a slight wheeze but it was not obvious enough to be noticed unless you listened closely. He could feel his breath rattle every time he inhaled and it deeply unsettled him.

He noticed Frodo sitting with Sam some meters away and wondered if the hobbit was avoiding him. Not once had Frodo spoken to him or made eye contact since they exited Moria and Legolas pondered on the reason. Surely the hobbit wasn't angry at him?

He shook his head, silly to be thinking such things. Frodo was probably just having a hard time with Gandalf's death.

"Legolas?" as voice asked, cutting through his thoughts.

The elf looked up to see Aragorn's worried gaze upon him, "How are you feeling?"

"I am fine," Legolas answered simply but Aragorn could tell by his voice that the elf was in much pain.

"Here eat this," he said, pulling out a herb from his healing pouch, "It will numb the pain."

Legolas took it from him and nibbled the end. The bitter taste of the plant invaded his mouth and attacked his tongue and as soon as Aragorn had turned away, he shoved the herb into his pocket. He refused to eat something so revolting and Legolas remembered lord Elrond saying something about how the most powerful remedies were the most disgusting to take and he took out the plant from his pocket.

He eyed it as if it might leap out of his hand and force its way down his throat but eventually he gave in, knowing that it was for his own good and he choked it down. Legolas then took a gulp of water in hopes to rid his mouth of the dreadful taste.

Soon after the Fellowship had rested for half an hour, there were off again. Legolas felt much better after taking the herb and he walked next to Aragorn, enjoying friendly conversation.

It was not much longer until the forest of Lothlórien appeared before them. Legolas then took the lead and stepped into the forest, feeling more at home as he breathed in the scent of trees and leaves. He traveled swiftly through the bushes and over fallen tree trunks while the rest of the Fellowship stomped through, tripping over the occasional tree root.

They had barely traveled a mile into the forest when Legolas suddenly stopped, his ears twitching as he strained to hear the sounds of the forest. He had been well ahead the rest of them and he held up his hand, warning them to stop. The Fellowship came to a halt and they all looked around, trying to see what Legolas was hearing.

As fast as lightning, the elf had his bow in his hands and an arrow fired deep within the forest. The rest of them were confused as to why he had suddenly just shot at nothing when screeches filled the air.

"Orcs!" the elf cried, and plenty of the foul beings charged at the Fellowship with their weapons raised, hungry for blood.


	6. VI Deadly Dance

The smell of orc blood was in the air as the Fellowship took down their attackers. Aragorn was slashing them down in pairs while Gimli swung his axe like a mad man. Boromir was with the hobbits, helping them stay safe as they fought beside him. They were like a swarm of bees; working together to surround an opponent and each took turns lunging forwards to sting until the orc would fall and they would move on to find their next victim.

Legolas fired arrow after arrow until he finally ran out. Though reluctant to, he unsheathed his twin blades and dove into the mess. His fighting skills took over as he slashed and stabbed, dodged and twirled in this deadly dance of combat. If he wasn't injured Legolas wouldn't have felt the fatigue until much later, but the strain of travelling and his healing body took its toll on the elf as his movements slowed.

Slowly, ever so slowly did the numbers of orcs began to dwindle. Legolas was surprised at how large the group was. There may have been a few who went off to collect other groups and join the fight as it was nearly impossible for this many orcs to be hiding.

Legolas had let his thoughts stray too far and he lost his concentration for a mere second. But that second cost him dearly as an orc leapt from behind a bush and lay a large gash upon the elf's torso. The sword dug deep enough to rake along his ribcage and it trailed diagonally from Legolas' right shoulder, reopening his chest wound from before. He couldn't stop himself from screaming in pain and he lunged forward blindly. Luckily enough the orc was spending too much time congratulating himself to notice the elven blade coming at him and Legolas stabbed him in the heart, ending his horrid life.

Immediately his light-headedness increased tenfold and he toppled over and fell to the ground. Still hearing the sound of battle around him he struggled to get back to his feet. Legolas' tunic was drenched with blood as the new wound gushed out the crimson liquid. With the help of a tree, he managed to get back on his feet and he closed his eyes, '_Mind over matter...'_ he thought within his mind and willed the light-headedness to disappear. Breathing deeply he then opened his eyes again and continued to finish off the remaining orcs.

There were perhaps twenty left and the elf dealt with three in seconds. Aragorn finished the last one and Legolas breathed out, relieved that it was finally over. Before he could let Aragorn fuss over his new injury, Legolas quickly started to scavenge for his arrows. It was short work with his enhanced eyesight and soon enough he had all of them back in his quiver. He didn't have time to wash off the blood; he'd get the chance once they reached Lothlórien.

He turned to see Aragorn tending to some cuts and bruises the others had gotten. Boromir had a nasty cut that dug deep on his left arm and Aragorn quickly covered it tightly with a bandage, he would stitch it later. Legolas swallowed nervously, he knew how the human would react once he saw the damage to the elf's body and he didn't want to burden him further.

Taking a deep breath, Legolas quickly walked past the others and into the trees, "We must keep going! There could be more orcs lurking about and I wish to get to Lothlórien as soon as possible!" he called over his shoulder to the others.

Eventually he heard them crashing through the bushes behind him and he made sure he was well in front of them all. Though he was exhausted, Legolas pushed forwards, making sure to move away branches with his arms so he didn't leave a red trail behind him. This wouldn't last for long though as his blood dripped onto the ground at a steady rate.

They walked for a mile or so and yet Aragorn still smelled fresh blood. He turned around yet again to check and make sure no one's wounds were bleeding though Boromir's arm had bled for a while, it had finally stopped. Unable to figure out where the metallic scent was coming from, he returned his gaze in front of him and that's when he noticed the tree trunk with the gory handprint and the leaves stained red.

**TBC...**

**Satisfied? If you guys don't mind, I'd really like some more feedback. Your thoughts on my story, how it should end, something you might want to happen, things you don't want to happen, etc. It'd be great to hear from you all more.**

**Chapter VII is coming soon, don't you worry I'm not done yet.**

**-Sweet Nightmares-**


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